Converting Process + Purpose — to remove iron, sulphur and other impurities Conversion takes place in two chemical and physically distinct processes. Domo) st 4._Slag forming stage — FeS oxidised to FeO, Fe,O, and SO, seg - this stage finished when all FeS is oxidised. euyie! es 2FeS + 302 4 SIO, 2FeO.SiOz+2SOo+ Heat wep In molten _ in blast Flux) . Molten slag in offgas matte ses 3 ae SE 7 7 Copper_mal g stage remaining sulphur is removed by oxidation to SOz wc Gi Ung ED ser ole y WP be Cu, + 3/202 @ Cu,0 + SO, 5 Cu,S + 2Cu,0 = 6Cu + SO! TTS eae BY ee 2 ‘Gu oxidation starts when ww orrdlativa see Lary io Se < Veit st cole ly Coprel orice Lf Scanned with CamScannerConverting Process suletides ¢ the! SARE YS ST aes Metallic impurities such As, Cd, Pb are partially eliminated by{volatilization| oy esas o As a result of oxidation of FeS, temperature rises> Bee ee BME Qoint Bee Temperature is controlled by adding cold scrap sauned Process takes from 2-6 hrs for completion Scanned with CamScannerhoe Converting Copper Matte S: + Molten matte contains copper, iron and sulphur with 3 dissolved oxygen. In addition it contains impurities (S us! e, Pb, Zn, Co. Ni. Sb. Bi) and precious metals. <== + This matte is charged molten into a converter to remove iron, sulphur and other impurities thereb producing 5-99.5%) blister, liquid metallic copper in a crude (98. 99.5%) Blister 4 copper form. Lie ‘o-refined to + This material is then fire-refined or elect Was a produce high purity copper. tat oe + The conversion of copper matte is carried out in APeirce| mith converter. nt + The products of the converter are slag_and blister copper. Large volumes of SO, are also produced. The converting reactions are exothermic ani autogenous. Scanned with CamScannerJ Stages of Converter Operation C CHaRoing ) Scanned with CamScannerstages of Converter Operation CHARGING BLOWING. SKIMMING Scanned with CamScannerPierce-Smith Converter Scanned with CamScannerCopper Converter Scanned with CamScannerCharging the Converter Scanned with CamScannerPierce-Smith Converter ‘ r & os — Possibility of laundering matte from smelting aa furnace - reduction in emissions from ladle foie transport e — Feed scrap through mouth during blow - less rollouts and lower emissions — Removal of converter to rebrick, and insertion of refitted converter within 24 hours ~ * saying cone — Improved ventilation around mouth for fume suppression a=) * Best Operation: , Scanned with CamScannerPierce-Smith Converter Kesh Weaknesses: — Liquid matte feed usually through ladles - emissions — Need to roll-out the converter for slag skimming and scrap additions - emissions — Brick wear gives short campaign lives of ewe oe converter after 10,000 tonnes copper — Batch operation-so_multiple vessels require ed “for large copper throughput Scanned with CamScannerPierce-Smith Converter ‘sh * Strengths: _— Still the industry standard for converting — Batch operation so produces consistent low- sulphur and low-impurity blister copper — Capable of high emissions capture and reduced roll-outs _— Ability to inject concentrate through tuyeres for increased productivity Scanned with CamScannerTypical Copper Smelter Flowsheet SZ Slag (lenes) ¢ Aes diet weno ceduchion ox ot onder coeee™ 4 ou Scanned with CamScannerScanned with CamScanneree ss or es coe of onses oe cx feo > ¥* Slag recycling aisle oss ap Pe, Ou qe gota Hy - Send to reverberatory furnace # Settling in a electric furnace: small amount of coke is has high solubilly & ae added to reduce Fe,O, to FeO (FegOa sol in matte: 22% at 1200°C; 43% at , 1300° BIE wt, mt + “Slow cooling followed by crushing and flotation to separate sulfide inclusions bay SF a Wr + Fast cooling followed by leaching with H,SO4 (only lab t cooling (oO et pe ee “scale) — ol TF otk Scanned with CamScannerTs 9% Finn stage Fire Refining a wee Fh eed « Final refining of copper is electrolytic * Before casting anodes, blister copper (0.5%O and pees 8 0.03-0.05%S) must be refine. ¢ Refining inanode furnace (reverberatory © or rotary I with one or two small tuyeres for air injection -$10=80,,at 110090 — Other oxidisable elements also removed (Al, S Sl, (2n, Mn, Fe) — Precious metals remain (Au, Ag) ae ei AT Scanned with CamScanner: is Stage of refining ~ Bubble hydrocarbons t metal «- Perce ot os Produce -e CO, CO, and.H,O. — Another source of C used is green-wood - poles, hence the name — Some dissolved H; in final product (0.1%O, 2*10°°H) — Cast into 300-400.kg anodes *. 22... ae nodes Copper Scanned with CamScannerAt first, a tall yellow flame blows from the top of the anode furnace, but after a few hours it becomes a beautiful blue-green when most of the oxygen ‘in the copper has been burned away a Scanned with CamScannerA first, a tall yellow flame blows from the top of the anode furnace, but after a few hours it becomes a beautiful blue-green when most of the oxygen in the copper has been burned away Scanned with CamScannerCopper Anode Pouring Scanned with CamScannerScanned with CamScannerCopper Anodes —s eS \ chne 5 ae > 2 Nae ane ber sae a 8 WE pleck® xe oy Scanned with CamScannerElectro-Refini eo 8 eae ee BES ey Ce * Impure anodes z= ° Pure cathodes Pietletion * Electrolyte:H,SO, (170-200 kg m®) * Copper from anode is dissolved into H,SO, by * Cus>Cu+ +2e}), cecemeinad aid 05% * Cu?* and 2e OAs at cathode without impurities: = me ° Cu? +2e° > Cu ead Scanned with CamScannerPure Cu (Cathode) | CuSO.(24) avd ple (oe Slab of impure copper? containing such impurities as: Zn, Pb, Ag(Anode) —_> —— Scanned with CamScannerenk Scanned with CamScannerWw The cathode reaction: The Cu?* in solution is preferentially reduced at the cathode but none of the ~Pb2* or Zn?" can be reduced. (Cu?* exists in larger er amounts and has a higher redt r reduction potential | than Zn and Pb**.) ie Scanned with CamScannerConditions for electrorefining Electrolyte CuSO, g/L 100-140 H,SO,, g/L 180-250 Current Density, mA/om? 10-20 ea Current efficiency, % 97 _ golodls Bote Voltage, volts ey e's Energy requirement, KWh/kg (0.05 Temperature, °C 60 Impurities f In solution Ni, As, Fe, Co slimes Ag, Au, Sb, Se, Te solids Scanned with CamScannerean: techn Lomi be an elect poe ene laws of ¢ ctorse etotr® cio oo) ‘i \ of Eek Che eepos tee) \e = The One cok od subst a passe og elect - quentity sor ) ee r G na) be pitt a © ee fe ie ders ly ee Scanned with CamScannerLaws of electrochemical reactions ¢ Formulated by Michael Faraday in 1830 — The amount of chemical change produced by an electric current, i.e., the amount of any substance deposited or dissolved, is proportional to the quantit of electricity passed — The amount of different substances deposited or dissolved by the same quantity of electricity are proportional to their chemical equivalent weight * => electrode processes, therefore, differ from other heterogeneous reactions in that the rate is directly proportional to the Current Scanned with CamScannerRate of deposition in electrolytic cell + IfwWis weight of deposited metal in time t ew! (current) oa © Ifl=const: > w~t . n- valency w * Also w~=- where W is atomic wt, * WI > we IO ie k- is proportionality const. jeer wetgt vont =e . ver rey ht => HS chened SH p Soa ors w 2 eqevlieg se canbe “ wi wos it when passing 1A was > wo ah Nels, code” ly ae The time required to deposit 1 g-equivalent found to be 26hrs and 48 min (96500 seconds). s, ...w SOS aS ea, MAB RCS L 36500 ~ Rn ae Where F is tarady Rate = 7396500 nF Number (A's) | 2B SSepescition Scanned with CamScannerRate of deposition Example - How many grams of copper metal will : er plating solution in 45 . , - deposited from a copp minutes at a current of grow? ma I a w/w m oe oie om wenn ne @) - & gl aise?) 6) at oe aed BOTD oe? - ‘ Scanned with CamScannerScanned with CamScannerSmelter Environmental ; Issues — Acid Plant tail gas a * Typically 500 - 1000 ppm sulphur dioxide with nitrogen oxides + Trend to 50 - 200 ppm with low nitrogen oxides — Fugitive emissions from process + Up to 2% sulphur dioxide that is too dilute to pass to the acid plant aenatmes® igs) a + Usually exhausted to stack but coming under aye & 244 regulatory pressure — In-plant dust exposure + dust handling and conveying is a long-term risk ae Scanned with CamScanner